A 3,000-year-old gold bracelet that disappeared from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo was stolen and melted down, Egypt's interior ministry says. A restoration specialist took the artefact - which dates back to the reign of King Amenemope, a pharaoh who ruled Egypt around 1,000BC – from a safe at the museum nine days ago, according to the ministry.
The woman contacted a silver jeweller she knew, who sold the bracelet to a gold jeweller for $3,735 (£2,750). He then sold it for $4,025 to a gold foundry worker, who had melted it down with other jewellery. The ministry said the four individuals confessed to their crimes after being arrested, and that the money was seized.
Legal action will be taken against them. The ministry announced immediate measures after the bracelet disappeared from the restoration laboratory, and the case was referred to police.
An image of the gold band adorned with spherical lapis lazuli beads had been circulated to all Egyptian airports and ports to prevent it being smuggled out. The disappearance was detected as museum staff prepared to ship artefacts to Rome for an exhibition. The Egyptian Museum, which houses over 170,000 artefacts, is set to see the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza soon.
The woman contacted a silver jeweller she knew, who sold the bracelet to a gold jeweller for $3,735 (£2,750). He then sold it for $4,025 to a gold foundry worker, who had melted it down with other jewellery. The ministry said the four individuals confessed to their crimes after being arrested, and that the money was seized.
Legal action will be taken against them. The ministry announced immediate measures after the bracelet disappeared from the restoration laboratory, and the case was referred to police.
An image of the gold band adorned with spherical lapis lazuli beads had been circulated to all Egyptian airports and ports to prevent it being smuggled out. The disappearance was detected as museum staff prepared to ship artefacts to Rome for an exhibition. The Egyptian Museum, which houses over 170,000 artefacts, is set to see the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza soon.
